Almost a Basilisk
date
13/09/25word count
477outfit
⁺₊ ☀︎ ⁺₊speech
#8C2626mentions
@Kiana Nakamuranotes
xxxIt seemed all of Lucille's spare time was spent either in the library or in the grounds. They reminded her of home, and oh how she missed home. Rides out on the estate, breakfast with her family, everything. And so, when Lucille wished to have a peaceful moment, she dived into the comfort of books and nature.
Today was no exception. Lucille was taking a walk, the way she usually did, crunching leaves once again. She loved autumn, although the thought that soon, the lake would freeze over, the sky would turn grey, and the snow would fall, covering her beloved trails, haunted her. When winter came, Lucille knew she would stop leaving the castle, instead sitting bundled up in the common room in front of the fireplace, and, hopefully, with some hot tea in her hands.
But no use thinking of that now. Right now, she would live in the moment, enjoying the falling leaves and the fresh air. It wasn't long before Lucille stepped farther away from the throng of students that preferred to stay closer to the castle. Lucille walked idly, switching directions almost randomly, stopping to look at the few flowers that hadn't lost their leaves in their wait for spring. Smell the roses, she would say, and it seemed she took it quite literally.
Reaching a more secluded spot, where there was scarcely a soul, Lucille's attention was caught by a flash of bright green. A snake! she thought excitedly, moving closer, and it was then that she noticed the snake's owner, an older girl with her head buried in a book. Seeing the snake nestled so comfortably with her, Lucille's heart skipped a beat, not out of fear, but out of excitement.
As far as she could remember, it was often Parselmouths that kept snakes. Lucille loved animals, both the magical and the mundane, and she felt the snakes were a perfect example that fit into both. Mundane enough to not be hidden from Muggles, but how magical that some witches and wizards were born with the ability to understand them!
Lucille stepped carefully into the clearing, almost as if she was sneaking up on the pair. That certainly wasn't her intention; the girl was trying not to make sudden movements. She didn't know much about snakes, but she did know that it was best not to startle any animal. "Excuse me," she called out, barely unable to contain her excitement, eyes fixated on the snake. "Is it rude to ask if you're a parselmouth?" She didn't know much about wizard culture or if that was a taboo topic to discuss, so she decided to stay on the safe side. Not waiting for an invitation to join, Lucille dropped to the floor a few feet away from the girl, clearly intending to stay a while as she observed the magnificent creature.
| sta 7 eva 7 str 6 wis 5 arc 6 acc 4 calming presence | iNPC: Antoine de Laurent |
Almost a Basilisk
Parselmouth is in bold black.When the weather was benevolent, allowing an afternoon or even just a few hours of amiable winds and reasonable sun, Kiana made her move. She didn't go outside very often, making excuses for herself such as "bad weather" or "too cold," so much so that she wondered if the weather really was horrible nine times out of ten or if it was really just her own doing. Nevertheless, today was one of those rare "good days." Earlier, while huddled in her dormroom and finding it to be mildly stifling (she hadn't left in days), Kiana packed her books, quills, and a few choice snacks to bring with her, along with Jade, who took some bribing and coercing to cooperate. Abundant sunlight and fresh air would do her and her mind some good. Maybe she would finally crack the code to the one charms spell that continued to evade her, or discover a new interest in a niche sort of magical beast.
She hadn't been wrong. Despite her strong preference for indoor environments, Kiana admitted to herself that today was one of those days where she could tolerate the outdoors and the distant screams of mischievous first-years. She made a mental note to come outside more often, to read or enjoy time to herself, not just to meet with a professor or get to her next class. Besides, the longer she spent in this particular spot, the more she began to take a liking to it. Seeing that no one else generally came to this area, she felt it safe to deem the quaint spot as "her spot."
That was about to change, of course.
As usual, Jade drew in attention wherever she went. Why wouldn't she? She was a snake, and as far as Kiana knew, snakes were fairly rare pets to have. When the younger girl first approached her, Kiana had been so absorbed in her book that she hadn't even noticed or heard the student approach. It was only when Jade's head bobbed, alert, that she looked up.
There are a lot of things one can ask when faced with a girl and a snake. Where did you get that snake from? What's his/her name? But somehow, for some reason, this girl asked, well, asked if it was rude to ask, about Kiana's parselmouth nature. She wasn't angry, or annoyed at first, just surprised. And perhaps a bit startled. How in the world did the girl figure it out? Then again, it didn't take much logic - she probably just assumed a few unknowns and put two and two together. But still.
Kiana composed herself, trying not to look like a deer caught in headlights, before responding - "no, not at all. Don't worry." She tried her best to smile and look totally not in the middle of a fascinating book that she wanted to get back to.@Lucille Rosenhart
"if rescuing you is a sin...then i'd gladly become a sinner."
-Raiden Mei
iNPC: Kiyoko Nakamura
Almost a Basilisk
date
13/09/25word count
452outfit
⁺₊ ☀︎ ⁺₊speech
#8C2626mentions
@Kiana Nakamuranotes
xxx
Lucille crossed her legs, placing her hands on the ground in front of her and leaning forward a little. She rocked back and forth, expectantly waiting for the girl to continue. When she didn't, Lucille seemed a bit confused. "Well? Are you?" she prompted again. The girl had said it was alright to ask, but she hadn't really answered the question. Either way, Lucille would take her at her word and try again.
The snake seemed to be looking back at her, and Lucille looked away from it. She didn't know much about snakes, certainly, but she knew that you didn't stare a dog or a cat in the eye or they felt threatened. She didn't know if that rule applied to snakes, but she figured better safe than sorry.
"The most I've ever seen is a garden snake, but they're certainly not this magnificent. They're pretty small, about this size." She held up her hand, and with her other one, marked up to her elbow. "And that's the longest one I've seen. Nothing like this one. What's its name? Can you ask it a question? How old is it? Is it a lady or a boy?" Lucille launched into a flurry of questions, quickly getting carried away, her excitement evident in the way she seemed to vibrate in place. Quickly, though, she seemed to realize it was a bit much, and switched her tone to be a more apologetic one.
"Sorry, I'll let you answer those first. I'm a bit excited; this is the first snake I've met here!" The elated smile on her face seemed like it was a constant. In fact, it seemed as if her face didn't know what an unhappy expression was. Of course, like any eleven year old who loves animals, Lucille desperately wanted to hold the snake, or at least touch it. But that was a question she wouldn't ask. She knew an animal wasn't something to be stared at or a toy to be played with, so she kept a respectful distance. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for the girl, who was surely about to be bombarded with more questions, and more stories from the excitable child.
The girl had seemed a bit startled when Lucille spoke, but she seemed to be calmer. Besides, she hadn't said anything about Lucille's presence, so Lucille assumed she was alright to be around. Who knows? Perhaps the girl was a little tired of reading and would appreciate some company. It was rare for Lucille herself to mind being interrupted when she was doing something; often she would appreciate human conversation over most activities. And so, it scarcely crossed her mind that she might be disturbing someone.
| sta 7 eva 7 str 6 wis 5 arc 6 acc 4 calming presence | iNPC: Antoine de Laurent |